Motor interface controller having an integrated power supply

ABSTRACT

A motor assembly broadly includes a motor, a motor controller, and an interface controller having an integrated power supply. The integrated power supply includes an AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component. The motor controller and the interface controller receive line voltage electrical power without the need for an external transformer.

The present invention relates to interface controllers for use withelectric motors.

Electric motors often include motor controllers for instructing themotors how to operate and interface controllers for communicating withthe motor controllers. Each motor controller and interface controllerreceives electrical power from an external power source such as an AC120V mains power line that must be converted to DC power and/or undergoa voltage reduction before the power can be delivered to the electricalcircuits of the controllers. The interface controller does not have itsown way to receive reduced voltage power and requires an external orauxiliary transformer to be connected thereto. This increases productioncosts for wiring and packaging and creates compatibility issues betweeninterface controller models and auxiliary transformers.

SUMMARY

The present invention solves the above-described problems by providing amotor assembly including a motor, a motor controller, and an interfacecontroller having an integrated power supply. The motor includes astator, a rotor, a motor case enclosing the stator and the rotor, anoutput shaft, and a power input terminal. The rotor is located generallywithin the stator and is rotatable relative to the stator about an axis.The motor case is fixed relative to the stator and is spaced radiallyabout the rotor axis. The output shaft extends from an opening in themotor case and is rotatable with the rotor. The power input terminalreceives electric current from the motor controller for powering themotor.

The motor controller is connected to the motor and includes an AC to DCpower conversion component, a DC voltage reduction component, a digitalsignal processor, an isolated interface circuit, a DC to AC powerinverter, an input terminal, and an output terminal. The motorcontroller power input terminal connects to an external power conduitfor receiving AC power from an external power source. The AC to DC powerconversion component converts the AC power to DC power for use by thedigital signal processor. The DC voltage reduction component reduces andregulates the voltage level of the DC power transmitted to the digitalsignal processor. The digital signal processor receives input signalsfrom the interface controller and converts them into signals forcontrolling the motor. The isolated interface circuit provides faultprotection to the digital signal processor. The DC to AC power inverterconverts the high voltage DC power to three phase current for poweringthe motor. The input terminal connects to the interface controller forreceiving control signals therefrom. The output terminal connects to thepower input terminal of the motor for transmitting the three phasecurrent to the motor.

The interface controller is connectable to the motor controller andincludes an integrated AC to DC power conversion and voltage reductioncomponent, a user interface, and a micro-controller. The integrated ACto DC power conversion and voltage reduction component (i.e., integratedpower supply) converts high voltage AC power received from the externalpower source to low voltage DC power for use by the micro-controller.The user interface receives user input commands for changing or settingthe motor speed, torque, and other motor operating parameters andsettings. The micro-controller is connected to the user interface andinstructs the motor controller to operate according to the user inputcommands.

The integrated power supply of the interface controller eliminates theneed for an external or auxiliary power transformer and allows the motorcontroller and the interface controller to be connected directly to anAC mains line either individually or together. This simplifies wiringand installation and provides a more compact, more versatile, and moremarketable motor assembly.

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the detaileddescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspectsand advantages of the present invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanyingdrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below withreference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motor assembly constructed inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the motor assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the motor of the motor assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the motor controller of the motor assemblyof FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the interface controller of the motorassembly of FIG. 1.

The drawing figures do not limit he present invention to the specificembodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearlyillustrating the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following detailed description of the invention references theaccompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which theinvention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describeaspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled inthe art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized andchanges can be made without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to betaken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is definedonly by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents towhich such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or“embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to areincluded in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separatereferences to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, or “embodiments” inthis description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and arealso not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Forexample, a feature, structure, act, etc. described in one embodiment mayalso be included in other embodiments, but is not necessarily included.Thus, the present technology can include a variety of combinationsand/or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

Turning now to the drawing figures, and particularly FIG. 1, a motorassembly 10 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention is illustrated. The motor assembly 10 broadly comprises amotor 12, a motor controller 14, and an interface controller 16.

The motor 12 converts electrical power to mechanical power and may bedesigned for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems,pumping systems, washing machines, dishwashers, or any otherelectrically powered devices or systems. The motor 12 may be synchronousor asynchronous, permanent split capacitor (PSC) motor, brushed DCmotor, brushless permanent magnet motor, switched reluctance motor,coreless or ironless DC motor, induction motor, torque motor, steppermotor, or any other type of motor. The motor 12 may be fixed speed,multi-speed, or variable speed and may have any horsepower (HP) rating.The motor 12 includes a motor case 18, a stator, a rotor, an outputshaft 20, and a power input terminal.

The motor case 18 encloses the stator and rotor therein and includes anaxial output shaft opening and a number of radial ventilation openings24. The motor case 18 may include mounting bosses, brackets, or surfacesfor mounting the motor 12 horizontally or vertically.

The stator creates electromagnetic fields around the rotor to rotate therotor and is fixed within the motor case 18. The stator includes copperor other conductive wire windings organized around a rotor axis.

The rotor rotates due to the induced electromagnetic fields created bythe stator and is rotatable relative to the stator about the rotor axis.

The output shaft 20 rotates with the rotor to provide mechanical powerto a blower or other device. The output shaft 20 extends from the axialoutput shaft opening and rotates with the rotor about the rotor axis.

The input terminal is connectible to the output terminal of the motorcontroller 14 for receiving AC power therefrom.

The motor controller 14 instructs the motor 12 how to operate andincludes a shell 26, an AC to DC power conversion component 28, a DCvoltage reduction component 30, a digital signal processor 32, anisolated interface circuit 34, a DC to AC power inverter 36, an inputterminal, an output terminal, and a number of connection points 38.

The shell 26 encloses the electrical components 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36and attaches to the motor case 18. The shell 26 may include a number ofventilation openings 40 for allowing cool air to circulate into theshell 26.

The AC to DC power conversion component 28 converts the AC powerreceived from the external power source to DC power. The AC to DC powerconversion component may be a rectifier converter or similar type ofconverter and may include one or more filters, capacitors, resistors,inductors, and/or other electrical elements to smooth out the DC power.

The DC voltage reduction component 30 lowers the voltage of the DC powerto a level suitable for use by the digital signal processor 32 and maybe a linear regulator or a power switching component (i.e. aswitched-mode power supply), The DC voltage reduction component 30 mayinclude one or more filters, capacitors, resistors, inductors, and/orother electrical elements to reduce and regulate the DC voltage level.The AC to DC power conversion component 28 and the DC voltage reductioncomponent 30 may be combined in some embodiments.

The digital signal processor 32 receives input signals from theinterface controller 16 and converts them into signals for controllingthe motor 12. The digital signal processor 32 may include a CPU, RAM,ROM, EEPROM, processors, controllers, integrated circuits, programmablelogic devices, or other data and signal processing devices for storingmotor operating parameters, commands, and instructions for retrieval bythe interface controller 16. The digital signal processor 32 may includesoftware or other executable computer code that can be embodied on anyof the non-transitory computer-readable medium above for implementinglogical functions therein.

The isolated interface circuit 34 is connected between the digitalsignal processor 32 and the interface controller 16 and electricallyisolates the digital signal processor 32 from the interface controller16 so as to provide fault protection to the digital signal processor 32.

The DC to AC power inverter 36 converts the DC power received from theAC to DC power conversion component 28 into AC power for use by themotor 12. The DC to AC power inverter 36 may include one or morefilters, capacitors, resistors, inductors, and/or other electricalelements to convert the DC power to AC power. The output AC power may besingle phase, two phase, or three phase depending on the motor 12.

The input terminal is connectable to an external power conduit forreceiving power from an external power source (e.g., 277 volt or 115volt AC mains line).

The output terminal connects the motor controller 14 to the motor 12 fordelivering the AC power and control signals to the motor 12.

The electrical connection points 38 allow the motor controller 14 to beconnected to diagnostic tools or other devices and may include 4-wire,16-pin, or other communication connectors.

The interface controller 16 receives external (e.g., user) inputs andmanipulates the motor controller 14 to instruct the motor 12 to operateaccording to the inputs. The interface controller 16 includes anintegrated AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component 42,a user interface 44, a micro-controller 46, an input terminal, an outputterminal, and a number of connection points 48.

The integrated AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component42 (i.e., integrated power supply) converts AC power received from theexternal power source to DC power and reduces the DC voltage to a levelsuitable for use by the user interface 44 and micro-controller 46. Theintegrated AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component 42may be a rectifier converter or similar type of converter, a linearregulator, a transformer, and/or a power switching component, and mayinclude one or more filters, capacitors, resistors, inductors, and/orother electrical elements to smooth out the DC power. The integrated ACto DC power conversion and voltage reduction component 42 also isolatesthe user interface 44 and the micro-controller 46 from the high voltageof the external power source via optical isolation or other isolationelement.

The user interface 44 receives user input commands for changing orsetting the motor speed, voltage, current, power, resistance, torque, orother motor operating parameters and settings. The user interface 44 mayinclude an LCD, touchscreen, or other display and a number of buttons,switches, or other controls for providing the user input commands to theinterface controller 16.

The micro-controller 46 receives the user inputs from the user interface44 and retrieves motor operating parameters and other information fromthe memory of the digital signal processor 32 of the motor controller 14for instructing the motor controller 14 to operate the motor 12according to the user inputs. The micro-controller 46 may include a CPU,RAM, ROM, EEPROM, or any other processors, controllers, integratedcircuits, programmable logic devices, or other data and signalprocessing devices for manipulating and storing the user inputs.

The input terminal of the interface controller 16 is connectable to anexternal power conduit for receiving power from the external powersource (e.g., 277 volt or 115 volt AC mains line). It will be understoodthat the input terminal may be wired instead to a terminal of the motorcontroller 14 for receiving AC power therethrough.

The output terminal of the interface controller 16 connects theinterface controller 16 to the motor controller 14 for deliveringcontrol signals thereto.

The connection points 48 allow the interface controller 16 to beconnected to diagnostic tools or other devices and may include 4-wire,16-pin, or other communication connectors.

The above-described motor assembly 10 provides many advantages overconventional motor assemblies. For example, the integrated AC to DCpower conversion and voltage reduction component 42 (i.e., theintegrated power supply) of the interface controller 16 eliminates theneed of an external or auxiliary transformer or any other external powersupply. The interface controller 16 plugs directly into the mainscircuit of the motor 12 to accommodate any line voltage (e.g., 120V,240V, 115V or 277V, and 50 Hz or 60 Hz) and is compatible with a numberof motor models. This simplifies wiring and installation and provides amore compact, more versatile, and more marketable motor assembly. Theintegrated AC to DC power conversion and voltage reduction component 42eliminates the need to design separate auxiliary transformers andconnection points for different interface controller models. Theintegrated power supply also does not need to be packaged separately,which eliminates the need for matching power supply and interfacecontroller models and reduces production costs and inventory.

Although the invention has been described with reference to theembodiments illustrated in the attached drawing figures, it is notedthat equivalents may be employed and substitutions made herein withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as recited in the claims.

Having thus described various embodiments of the invention, what isclaimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includesthe following:

1. A motor assembly comprising; a motor comprising: a stator; a rotor; amotor case enclosing the stator and the rotor; and an output shaftconnected to the rotor and extending from an opening in the motor case;a motor controller connected to the motor for controlling operation ofthe motor; and an interface controller for communicating with the motorcontroller, the interface controller comprising: a housing; a userinterface for receiving user input commands; a micro-controllerpositioned within the housing, the micro-controller being connected tothe user interface for receiving the user input commands therefrom andbeing connected to the motor controller for instructing the motorcontroller how to control operation of the motor; and an integrated ACto DC power conversion and power voltage reduction component positionedwithin the housing and connected to the micro-controller for convertingAC power received from an external power source to DC power and forreducing the power voltage received by the micro-controller.
 2. Themotor assembly of claim 1, wherein the power conversion and powervoltage reduction component comprises a power switching component. 3.The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the power conversion and powervoltage reduction component comprises a linear power supply component.4. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor controllercomprises: a digital signal processor for converting commands from theinterface controller into motor controlling signals for controllingoperation of the motor; an AC to DC power conversion component forconverting AC power received from an external power source to DC power;a DC power reduction component for reducing the voltage of the DC powerreceived from the AC to DC power conversion component; and a DC to ACpower inverter for converting the DC power to AC power.
 5. The motorassembly of claim 4, wherein the motor controller further comprises anisolated interface circuit connected between the digital signalprocessor and the interface controller for providing fault protection tothe digital signal processor.
 6. The motor assembly of claim 4, whereinthe DC to AC power invertor converts the DC power to three phase ACpower.
 7. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the interfacecontroller further comprises a power input terminal configured to bewired to the motor controller for receiving high voltage power from theexternal power source via the motor controller.
 8. The motor assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the interface controller and the motor controller areeach configured to separately receive high voltage power from theexternal power source.
 9. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein thepower voltage reduction component of the interface controllerelectrically isolates the micro-controller of the interface controllerfrom high voltage power.
 10. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein thehousing of the interface controller is removably attachable to an outersurface of a case of the motor controller.
 11. The motor assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the interface controller is compatible with a number ofdifferent motor models.
 12. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein theinterface controller is housed substantially within a case of the motorcontroller.
 13. The motor assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor is avariable speed AC induction or permanent magnet motor and the interfacecontroller is configured to allow a user to select a motor speed, motortorque, or other motor operating command via the user interface of theinterface controller.
 14. An interface controller for use with a motor,the interface controller comprising: a housing; a user interface forreceiving user input commands; a micro-controller positioned within thehousing, the micro-controller being connected to the user interface forreceiving the user input commands therefrom and being connected to themotor controller for instructing the motor controller how to controloperation of the motor; and an integrated AC to DC power conversion andpower voltage reduction component positioned within the housing andconnected to the micro-controller for converting AC power received froman external power source to DC power and for reducing the power voltagereceived by the micro-controller.
 15. The interface controller of claim14, wherein the power conversion and power voltage reduction componentcomprises a power switching component.
 16. The interface controller ofclaim 14, wherein the power conversion and power voltage reductioncomponent comprises a linear power supply component.
 17. The interfacecontroller of claim 14, wherein the interface controller furthercomprises a power input terminal configured to be wired to a motorcontroller of the motor for receiving high voltage power from theexternal power source via the motor controller.
 18. The interfacecontroller of claim 14, wherein the interface controller is configuredto receive high voltage power from the external power source separatelyfrom the motor.
 19. The interface controller of claim 14, wherein theinterface controller is compatible with a number of different motormodels.
 20. A motor assembly comprising: a motor comprising: a stator; arotor; a motor case enclosing the stator and the rotor; and an outputshaft extending from an opening in the motor case; a motor controllerconnected to the motor for controlling operation of the motor, the motorcontroller comprising: a digital signal processor including a CPU and amemory; an isolated interface circuit connected to the digital signalprocessor for providing fault protection to the digital signalprocessor; a motor controller power input terminal for receiving highvoltage AC electrical power from an external power source; an AC to DCpower conversion component for converting the AC power to DC power forpowering the digital signal processor and for powering the motor; a DCpower switching component for reducing the voltage of a portion of theDC power for providing reduced voltage DC power to the digital signalprocessor; a DC to AC power inverter for converting the DC power tothree phase AC power; and a motor controller power output terminalconnectable to the motor for providing electrical power to the motor;and an interface controller for communicating with the motor controller,the interface controller comprising: a housing; a user interface forreceiving user input commands; a micro-controller positioned within thehousing, the micro-controller being connected to the user interface forreceiving the user input commands therefrom and being connected to themotor controller for instructing the motor controller how to controloperation of the motor; and an integrated AC to DC power conversion andpower switching component positioned within the housing and connected tothe micro-controller for converting AC power received from an externalpower source to DC power and for reducing the power voltage received bythe micro-controller, the interface controller being compatible with anumber of motor models.